Device for holding hypodermic needles



Jan. 7, 1958 J. ROSE 2,818,979

DEVICE FOR HOLDING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Filed. Jan. 19, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 1 (DOOOO 000000 Jan. 7, 1958 J. RO 2,818,979

DEVICE FOR HOLDING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Filed Jan. 19. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet2 IN V EN TOR.

United. States Patent DEVICE FOR HOLDING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Jay Rose,New York, N. Y.

Application January 19, 1954, Serial No. 404,903

Claims. (Cl. 211--60) This invention relates to the cleaning ofhypodermic needles andmore particularly to a device for holding theneedles during the cleaning. This application is a continuation in partof my prior Patent No. 2,704,266, issued March 15, 1955.

According to my present invention, there is provided a holder assemblyfor supporting the needles in substantially vertical positions and meansfor preventing the hubs from revolving while the insides are swabbed orwiped with a rotary cleaning tool. It is important that the in side ofthe hubs be thoroughly clean as well as the needle-tubes. Whether arotary brush or other means is used, the rotary movement against theinner surface causes the hubs to revolve and prevents thorough wiping,if provision is not made in the holder to prevent their rotation.

In my prior application I have described a cleaning process for thehypodermic needles which depends upon a detergent liquid fordisintegrating and removing foreign matter on and in the needles. Aftersufficient soaking in the liquid it is desirable to swab or wipe theinsides of the hubs. After this it is advantageous to have the needlesinverted in the detergent liquid, the hubs being below the needle-tubes.This will facilitate drainage since the wider part would be underneath.For this purpose, my present invention also includes means forpreventing the needles from falling out of the holder when the holderassembly with the needles therein is turned over or upside down.

One object of my present invention is to provide means in conjunctionwith a holder for hypodermic needles that will prevent the needles fromrevolving in the holder when cleaning their hubs with a rotary tool.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the needles fromfalling out of a needle holder when the holder with the hypodermicneedles therein is turned over or inverted so that the hubs of theneedles are below the pointed needle tubes and plunged in the detergent.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the holder assembly for the hypodermicneedles embodying the features of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational assembly with a portion broken awayandshown in section,

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the use of a wire meshfor holding the needles within the assembly, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the wire mesh frame by itself.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention inwhich the spaces of the needle are provided in spaced non-channelpieces.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of this form showing how the needle isretained between the pieces,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view illustrating a further form of the inventionin which the non-channel pieces are of different section than that shownin Figs. 6 to 8.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, 1represents a hypodermic needle having a hub opening 2 and fiat opposingside faces 3. A needle. holder assembly is formed of channel pieces 4,running in side by side parallel relationship with one another. Eachpiece has a series of spaced holes 5 for receiving the needles up totheir hubs. The channel pieces. are held together in close assembledrelationship with side plate 6 by threaded rods 7 passing through theends of the same and clamped by wing nuts 8 on the opposite ends of therods that are tightened against side plates 6. Fixed to and carried bythe side plates 6 is a wire. handle.

and stand supports that extend upwardly and below the assembly and onwhich the assembly with the needles can be rested in the vessel 15containing the detergent, either in its upright position or in itsinverted position.

In Figs. 4 and 5, there is shown a screen 12 having a frame 13 andsecured over the tops of the needles spring clips 14 that are fastenedbetween the lower edges of the side plates 6 and the screen frame 13. Bythe screen 12 means have been provided whereby the needles are held inplace when the assembly with the needles are inverted either to dip thehubs of the needles in the deter gent or for draining them. The sideplates have the handles i secured to them by welding or other means.Before the threaded rods 7 are inserted in the holes of the side plate 6the wing nuts 8 are removed from one end and then the other side. Whenthe channel pieces 4 have been assembled on the rods the nuts arereplaced on the threaded portions of the rod ends and tightened with thehandle side plates to the channel and the plate into a rigid holderassembly. The holder assembly is now complete. The pointed needle tubesextending from the underside of their hubs are dropped into the openings5 in the channels and the flat sided hubs will engage side walls of thechannels so as to prevent the needles from being revolved.

A wire screen 12 is placed over the hubs after the needles are in theholder and are thus held in place by the metal clips 14. The needlescannot fall out of the holder assembly when the holder is turned overand the hubs are below the needle tubes. The openings in the wire aresuflicient while holding the needle hubs to allow adequate entrance ofthe detergent to and drainage from the hub openings 2. In both positionsthe assembly is supported by the handle supports 9.

Instead of channels with openings, other means for supporting thehypodermic needles so that they will not revolve may be used, see Figs.6 to 8. Pairs of opposing metal strip pieces 20 are held spaced apart byspacers 22 assembled on threaded rods 23 and held in close coupledparallel relationship by wing nuts 24. The lower por' tions of thepieces are inwardly bent to constrict the lower space or opening soneedles dropped into the spaces will hang by their hubs therein. In theform shown in Fig. 9 pieces 20" taper inwardly to provide opposingdiverging side faces 25 to constrict the lower space. In both of theselatter forms the parallel side faces of the hubs engage the side facesof the strip pieces 20 or 20' to prevent the hubs from revolving.

For swabbing or wiping the insides of the hubs, a small rotary brush isattached to an electric motor shaft and applied to the needle hubopenings 6. The side faces of the channel or strip pieces hold theneedles against rotation.

The forms of the invention shown and described herein are to beconsidered merely as representative. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from Patented Jan. 7,1958? the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for holding hypodermic needles in a vertical position, inwhich the needle has a hub with an opening therein, oppositely-disposedflat side faces and a pointed tubular end extending from the hub,comprising parallel longitudinally-running opposing side members spacedto receive and bear against the oppositely-disposed flat side faces ofthe needle hub so as to prevent the turning of the needle when disposedtherebetween, bottom restricting portions running along the lower partsof the side members adjacent the pointed tubular end of the needle tosupport the hubs of the needles, and providing spaces therebetweenthrough which the pointed tubular ends or" the needles may extend,whereby the side members hold the needles against rotation when the hubopenings are being cleaned with a rotary brush tool.

2. A device for holding hypodermic needles, in which the needle has ahub With an opening therein, oppositelydisposed flat side faces and apointed tubular end extending from the hub, comprising pairs ofopposingly spaced side members running continuously and having bottomrestricting portions running along the lower parts of each pair ofmembers and providing a restricted space through which the pointedtubular ends of the needles may extend While their hubs are supportedupon the bottom restricting portions, the spacing of the members of eachpair receiving the hubs with their fiat faces lying against the membersto prevent their rotation when their openings are being 4 cleaned with arotary brush tool, means for releasably securing together an assembly ofseveral pairs of side members in close parallel relationship andsupports secured by said releasable means to the sides of the assemblyto hold the assembly and the needles above a horizontal surface.

3. A device for holding hypodermic needles, in which the needle has ahub with an opening therein, oppositelydisposed flat side faces and apointed tubular end extending from the hub, as defined in claim 2 and aperforated member adapted to overlie the hubs of the needles and meansfor releasably securing said perforated member to the assembled pairs ofspaced members.

4. A device for holding hypodermic needles in a vertical position asdefined in claim 1, said spaced members and restricting portionsconstituting a channel having a bottom with a series of spaced holestherein and side portions extending upwardly therefrom.

5. A device for holding hypodermic needles in a vertical position asdefined in claim 1 and means for releasably securing pairs of saidspaced side members together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS843,555 Weymar Feb. 5, 1907 2,313,905 Wallin Mar. 16, 1943 2,532,604Carski Dec. 5, 1950 2,63 6,201 Varga Apr. 28, 1953 2,655,160 Casady Oct.13, 1953 2,741,392 Weiss Apr. 10, 1956

